Flyers Mailbag: What will Chuck Fletcher do at the trade deadline and beyond?

Chuck Fletcher was hired as Flyers general manager in December and will have his first trade deadline with this team on Monday.(Photo: Courtesy of Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers)

Saturday will represent a big day for the Flyers and not just because they’ll be playing in front of roughly 70,000 people at Lincoln Financial Field. It’s the last chance to impress general manager Chuck Fletcher — or maybe another general manager in the league — before Monday’s trade deadline.

After a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night, the Flyers found themselves six points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That window may be small enough that Fletcher holds off on making moves until the last minute to better forecast what the Flyers might be able to do in the remainder of the season.

Of course, they’re not slated to be Stanley Cup favorites. If they get into the second season, it would probably be by the skin of their teeth so the pause for Fletcher may just be to what degree he parts with pieces he doesn’t see as still being part of the club by next training camp.

Then there’s the question of what to do with Wayne Simmonds.

The effect of the standings on the trade deadline is where we start with the latest mailbag. As always, participate by using the #FlyersMailbag hashtag on Twitter.

@afern_alex: Dave, I have 2 questions. One, which of the 3 teams the Flyers are chasing do you think they have the best chance of catching? Two, what do you think the Flyers record would have to be down the road to make playoffs? #FlyersMailbag

The second question may be a little easier to answer than the first. Last season it took 97 points to qualify for the playoffs in the East. This season it’s looking about the same, maybe a hair less at 96 points. The Flyers have 63 points after 60 games, so they’d have to get 33 points in the remaining 22 games or something like a 15-4-3 record. Not impossible, but they’d really have to find a groove.

Now as for who drops out to allow them in, that depends. Columbus has the last spot in the East and if they trade Artemi Panarin, that alone may be enough to take the wind out of the Blue Jackets’ sail. The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres stand in the Flyers' way as well. They play the Hurricanes twice and Sabres once, so they may be able to help themselves against both of those teams.

@PikeCountyEagle: What do you think ends up with Simmonds? If traded what kind of compensation would you expect in return? #FlyersMailbag

Ultimately, I think Wayne Simmonds will end up getting traded and it’s a shame to see it end that way. He’s been a consummate professional through the entire process and plays such a style that personifies what the Flyers are. His skating has dipped a bit, but he still wins board battles, is a net-front presence and opens up space for teammates. The return price will be interesting because a month ago he looked like one of the biggest targets for teams and then Ottawa’s Mark Stone and Matt Duchene overshadowed him as well as Panarin.

One would think that Fletcher would ask for a first-round pick and then some, but he would probably also settle for a high-end prospect and maybe a mid-round pick. Tampa has a plethora of those young players knocking on the door and their first-round pick is already spoken for, so they could be in the mix. Same for other teams with prospects like Eeli Tolvanen (Nashville) or top picks like Boston.

@diamondback42: Do you think Elliott gets dealt before the deadline? I know Chuck will be looking to move him, but do you see a team trading for him? #FlyersMailbag

Tough to say if a team will have seen enough before Monday. Brian Elliott did well in mop-up duty Tuesday night but his surgery history in the last 12 months probably give teams pause. He’d be a rental for sure, but maybe worth a mid-round pick for a team that doesn’t have a lot of depth and wants to make a playoff run. No team likes carrying more than two goalies, so that may be a factor also, but the Flyers have done it essentially all season.

@aaronstank: We’ve been groomed to small changes for a while now. What are the chances Fletch drops a bomb and moves someone like Ghost, Coots, or Patrick? #FlyersMailbag

At Monday’s deadline? Very little. I don’t think he wants to rock the boat that much right now. In the summer? All bets are off.

Fletcher hasn’t met with the media much but when he has, each time he’s talked about the summer and there being opportunity for more moves then. I think that’s when he’ll really put his stamp on the roster and start doing more major surgery.

It would be very surprising if he parted with Sean Couturier, the team’s No. 1 center, or Nolan Patrick, who is still only 20. Shayne Gostisbehere would be less surprising, but after a disappointing season it would be selling low on a player who has been very good in this league and has cost certainty for four more seasons.

@andrewwidmier: Granted we get a 1st in any Simmonds trade, is there any chance of flipping that for one of the other players slated to become UFAs in hopes of getting them extended before July 1? #FlyersMailbag

That would be a big gamble unless there was time to speak with said player’s agent and because it looks like the Simmonds deal will be close to 3 p.m. Monday, that’s pretty unlikely. No doubt that Comcast Spectacor chairman Dave Scott likes to go big-game hunting and Fletcher will probably make big moves at some point, but I think it’s more likely he would hold onto that theoretical first-round pick and take his chances on July 1.

@kriskringle1977: Assuming Panarin, Stone, and Duchene all hit the market on July 1st which of the 3 do you think Fletcher pursues the most and why? Thanks. #FlyersMailbag

Tough to tell right now because we don’t know enough about Fletcher and what he values in free agency these days.

Interestingly, TSN’s Darren Dreger shed a little bit of light on what would have been likely under Ron Hextall. Hextall and Scott had alluded to being close to a deal at the draft and late last month Dreger said Toronto radio that apparently the deal was for Panarin. Tough to tell if Fletcher would feel the same way, but Panarin would be the top target if he hit free agency. He’ll have options.

@NotTheRealGoose: Do you see Fletcher putting a priority on signing the RFAs once the trade deadline is over? Gotta get Laughton, Konecny, Bailey, Provorov, and Sanheim locked up #FlyersMailbag

It’s going to have to be, for sure. Ivan Provorov is the most pressing because he is the Flyers’ No. 1 defenseman. Travis Sanheim’s deal snuck up in a hurry and Travis Konecny will get a big raise too. Laughton is a player the Flyers don’t want to lose, but he also won’t break the bank and neither will Justin Bailey. It would be surprising if all didn’t return next season, but they don’t all need to be on the front burner. Provorov does more than the rest of the group.

@maxmiller188: Is Q still an option, or does Gordon get promoted? #FlyersMailbag

Joel Quenneville is still an option, yes. He has been Dave Scott’s top choice going back to when Hextall was still the general manager and Scott largely drives the bus on this venture. Sources told the Courier Post back in December that a deal with Quenneville had been agreed to and obviously that fizzled for the time being. The issue with waiting until the summer, which is what will have to happen now, is that Quenneville may have other options.

Is he still as interested in the Flyers if, say, Florida becomes an alternative? If that’s the case and the Flyers lose on the Quenneville sweepstakes, it wouldn’t be surprising if the interim tag comes off Scott Gordon’s title.

@FlyGoalScoredBy: What is life like for Carter Hart outside the rink? 20 year old kid in a new city. Who is showing him the ropes. What bars is he sneaking into. Does he like any Netflix shows that he would recommend? #FlyersMailbag

I know this is mostly in jest, but there’s obvious interest in Hart, so it’s worth addressing. He moved into Jake Voracek’s old apartment in Philadelphia so he’s living on his own for the first time in his life. No hotel maids to help out, no billet to do his laundry and no Connor Bunnaman, who was his roommate with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the start of this season.

Hart talked last week about having to clean an apartment for the first time in his life. Keep in mind that the adjustments with turning pro aren’t all on the ice.

Hart is insanely mature for his age (he doesn’t turn 21 until mid-August). No need to worry about him sneaking into bars or doing anything that would risk his NHL future. It is obviously the most important thing in his life. His billet in Everett, Washington, Parker Fowlds told the Courier Post last summer, “He’s very careful on what he eats. He exercises every day. He stretches and he keeps himself in shape. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke. He turned out to be a really nice young man.”